Walker eager to fulfill higher calling in 2006

NORMAN - Marcus Walker’s career statistics portray him as a marginal cornerback who managed to find his way onto the field a few times the last two seasons.

Four starts in 12 games, 22 tackles, one pass broken up. Nothing spectacular.

Certainly not the numbers of a kid who was chosen to save the Oklahoma Sooners’ secondary amid their run to the BCS title game.

That was Walker’s calling in 2004, though he didn’t get the call until the ninth game of his redshirt season. In 2005, his season was knocked off course by a preseason shoulder separation and ended for good when the other shoulder popped out. He played in just seven games.

Two years older but not much more experienced, the junior cornerback is looking for a place to contribute this season in a secondary with much more talent than the one he stepped into in 2004.

Walker knows he isn’t a marginal player. He just wants a full season to show everyone else.

Walker’s expectations - his own or those of his coaches - aren’t marginal, either.

“He’s someone we’re hoping we can depend on,” Oklahoma secondary coach Bobby Jack Wright said. “We’re just hoping he can get back to full speed. He hasn’t had a full year under his belt since he’s been here.

“In a lot of ways, he’s like a first-year guy from the standpoint that he hasn’t had very many reps, doesn’t have very many games under his belt. I’m kind of anxious to see what he is capable of doing. We’re not totally sure, other than the few games he played his freshman year.”

Defensive coordinator Brent Venables has noticed one major change in Walker’s attitude since undergoing surgery on each shoulder after last season.

“His competitiveness,” Venables said. “I think being out of football for an extended amount of time, he has a real thirst for it now.

“He played as a true freshman and did some really good things, but yesterday’s gone. You have to earn your way every day.

“Maturing and going through that experience, he recognizes that in order to get better and to earn our trust, he’s got to come and compete every day. He’s done that as much as anything, which in the end has led to him improving in the ways that we want him to.”

That attitude change was driven by Walker’s injury battles last year, struggling through the mental challenge of not being able to accomplish certain physical tasks.

“It was real rough,” he said. “It’s not your fault in the sense that you’re limited because of the injury. It was rough just not playing football. That’s something I’ve been doing since I was young. It was real tough mentally because some days you might not be into anything. You don’t want to do anything.”

Once his body healed from the surgeries, that mindset disappeared.

“Once you’re rehabbing, it’s like you’ve got your eyes set on a goal,” Walker said. “I never really got tired of rehabbing, because you’re always trying to get better, get stronger, get faster, so when it’s time to compete, you’re ready to compete.”

And the time to compete has arrived. Not just for victories, but for playing time as well.

Since the time Walker came out of redshirt in 2004, there have been a few key arrivals in OU’s defensive backfield.

D.J. Wolfe switched from running back to corner last season and has virtually entrenched himself as a starter. Reggie Smith started at strong safety as a true freshman a year ago and now he’s possibly the team’s best defensive back.

Lendy Holmes also joined the race for playing time at corner when he moved from wide receiver in the spring.

But this time around, Walker is healthy and he knows he’ll only have to focus on the task of playing football.

“Once I got my strength back and my range of motion back, playing football wasn’t that hard,“ he said. “Playing football is natural for me. I’ve still got a few things I need to sharpen up before the season starts.

“I understand everything we’re trying to do in our defense, all the concepts. I know the game pretty good. It’s just a matter of getting back in my groove and getting my swagger back. And I think I’ve done that.”